Local taqueria owner is more than just a restaurateur.
By Jen Clay
A&E Assistant
Though Malibu best knows his name from the huge sign on the front of his restaurant, many Pepperdine students know him as the friendliest man in Malibu.
He’s Howdy, of Howdy’s Taqueria on Cross Creek Road, and there is much more to this outgoing guy than just the free nachos he eagerly hands out to hungry students.
Born in Los Angeles, Howdy Sylvano Kabrins studied business at San Jose State and USC on golf scholarships. After visiting Mexico as a child, he returned during college to further his studies in anthropology and Latin American studies. His experience was anything but typical.
“I lived with a peasant family for two years as I was working with a professor,” he said.
Inspired by Mexican culture, Kabrins returned to the states and founded the La Salsa company in 1979, single-handedly making it a 28-restaurant franchise by putting a fresh twist on the typical Mexican eatery.
“I created Fresh-Mex,” he said. “I’m the guy who really set the whole Fresh-Mex industry into place because prior to that it was all old-fashioned Mexican food – you know, kind of heavy.”
In fact, Kabrins is also responsible for a Pacific Coast Highway staple: the tall Mexican statue on top of Malibu’s La Salsa restaurant.
“I built that Mexican man over at La Salsa there, so that was mine for many, many years,” he said.
Kabrins brought in partners for the successful franchise in 1993, but parted ways with La Salsa shortly thereafter.
“[The partners] didn’t share my passion and my vision, so we went on our own ways,” he said.
Kabrins then opened Howdy’s Taqueria in 1995. Kabrin’s food service goal was obvious to him from Howdy’s inception.
“The Latin people really are the friendliest, kindest people in the world,” he said. “My goal was to communicate the pride and the dignity of the Latin people through the food in a very proud, fun atmosphere.”
Kabrins also takes pride in many things Howdy’s represents.
“I try to serve the healthiest mix of well-balanced food,” he said. “So to put that all together for under $10 is a real value.”
Known around the Pepperdine campus for his involvement with the university, Kabrins realizes the Pepperdine community has been good to his own business.
“People say, ‘well, you’re busy in the summer and not busy in the winter,’” he said. “That’s true, but there’s Pepperdine, so we don’t have the valleys and peaks. The students and the whole Pepperdine organization are important to me.”
This is apparent in all the ways Kabrins is involved with the university. Howdy’s sponsors the women’s volleyball team, is active with men’s baseball, has been invited to speak at marketing conferences at Pepperdine and caters many events, such as last year’s Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional concerts and Step Forward Day.
And then, of course, there’s Kabrins’ personal touch.
“I’ll work a long day in L.A., and I’ll stop at Malibu Yo, and I’ll hand out free nacho cards just to say hello to all the students,” he said.
One of the earliest sponsors of the non-profit environmental organization Heal the Bay, Kabrins is also active with local organizations and is no stranger to concert-catering.
“They did a concert — this was Heal the Bay back in the 80s when people were still hippies. They were expecting maybe 3,000 people, and 10,000 people showed up, and I was feeding everybody. People were literally eating the tablecloths.”
Not content with the success of Howdy’s in Malibu, Kabrins opened a new seafood restaurant in July 2001 — Pacifico’s, “Home of the Huachinango,” in Culver City.
“Huachinango means red snapper. It’s a funny word; it’s a friendly word,” he said. “It’s also a village in Mexico known for its hospitality.”
Kabrins hopes his successful brand of friendliness will work for Pacifico’s as well.
“With my new company, my job title is CEO/bus boy, which is kind of what I do here [at Howdy’s] too,” he laughed.
Kabrins’ relationship with Malibu has been rewarding but not without its hardships. Kabrins and his family lost their Malibu home to the big Malibu firestorm of 1993. Still, Kabrins couldn’t leave the area. He now lives with his wife, Linda, near Broad Beach, and one of his two daughters attended Pepperdine four years ago as a communication major active in the Latino Student Association.
“Since then, she’s started a business,” he said. “She’s been hiring Pepperdine kids out of the university who study communications and public relations.”
In the future Kabrins plans to continue visiting Mexico but has been considering making one of his jaunts a little more permanent.
“My heart’s there,” he said. “I’m thinking of buying a ranch there.”
With his love for children and charity, Kabrins will no doubt find another way to make a difference.
“One of my dreams — I feel a little uncomfortable saying this because sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for — is to build a Howdy’s Camp because I love kids so much, and the outdoors,” he said.
Until then, he will continue to feed the students of Pepperdine and any other hungry patron who may come his way — one nacho and smile at a time.
September 18, 2003